CoCo Honors Black and Brown Organizing Roots with a Día de los Muertos Ballot Drop
| By Marsha Mitchell, Senior Director of Communications
Community Coalition (CoCo) came together on Saturday, November 1st, to both honor our ancestors and encourage our community to vote. Hosted at South LA Cafe, CoCo’s Día de los Muertos ballot drop was followed by a collective walk to Algin Sutton Park, which reminded residents that our votes are not just choices—they are acts of remembrance, responsibility, and ongoing struggle. This year’s special election comes during a period of heightened fear and uncertainty across Los Angeles and the country, particularly among immigrant and Black communities experiencing increased surveillance, intimidation, and reduction of services. “We walked together to drop off our ballots because none of us organizes alone, said Alberto Retana, President & CEO of Community Coalition. “Our ancestors paved the way. Now it’s our turn to defend our democracy—not just for ourselves, but for future generations.” Día de los Muertos is a sacred time in many Latine and Indigenous traditions to create altars, gather in community, and remember and celebrate loved ones who have passed. Community Coalition embraced that tradition by centering those who risked and sacrificed their lives to advance voting rights—from the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. South, to immigrant labor organizers across California, to elders in South LA who organize against disenfranchisement and political neglect. Watch how we honored those who fought for our right to vote by using it! |